To: Those Beloved by me
From: Dad etc Richard Pratt
Re: Fourth Article of Faith (Witnesses)
The last three memos have dwelt on: “Reason” and its power in developing faith, “History” and its contribution, and “Prophecy”.
The subject today is, “Witnesses” and the law there of. God does everything by having witnesses. The Devine law of witnesses is best stated in Deuteronomy by the Lord: “At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.” Deut. 17:6 and 19:15
Two or more witnesses was not only to be applied in a trial where a life is at stake but in every important undertaking for the Lord said: “in the mouth of two or more witnesses every word may be established. Matthew 18:15-16
The Savior took Peter, James and John with him on the mount of transfiguration. Why did he not take Peter alone? Because he wanted more than one witness. Whenever the Lord does something, he does not expect us to believe it unless two or more have witnessed it.
However, the witness does not have to be other people. How did Christ become a witness for himself? By word of mouth; in the preaching of the gospel, because he taught as one having authority and not as the scribes; in the great work that he performed: restoring the sight to the blind, healing withered hands, raising the dead, and in many other ways blessing the sick and administering to the people. In this way his words and his work spoke for him, or as other scriptures say: by their works you shall know the truth of all things.
At other times his Father testified of him: at his baptism where the Holy Ghost descended and a white dove landed on the shoulder of Jesus signifying the presence of the Holy Ghost and the Father spoke from heaven saying: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17
Again this voice of God on the Mt. of Transfiguration spoke saying the same words.
Matthew 17:5
On another occasion when Jesus was praying to his Father before a group of people, the Father spoke to him from the heavens answering his prayer, saying: “I have both glorified the name of Jesus, and I will glorify it again.” John 12:8 Some who were present said it thundered some said an angel spoke, but it was the Father.
So when the wicked Jews were almost extinguished at Jerusalem in 70 AD they had ample, ample, evidence both by word and by works that Jesus was indeed the Son of the living God.
But the ways of the Lord are not man’s ways. He works thru his witnesses in establishing his work, in every age, he uses the few, not the many.
Joseph Smith obeyed the law of witnesses. After the first vision which was proven by what resulted in the vibrant Church of Jesus Christ today.
This is the way the Lord has always worked. When the Savior rose from the dead, how easy it would have been for him to have gone to Pilate and said: “Here I am. You condemned me to death. I said I would rise on the third day. Here I am.” But Pilate did not see him after the resurrection, but those who BELIEVED in him did!
He appeared to Peter, and to the apostles, to Mary at the tomb, and to many others, but
never to those who had persecuted him and put him to death. The Romans did not see him; the unbelieving Jews did not see him; He sent his chosen witnesses out into all the world to declare the message of his risen glory.
If Jesus or an angel would appear today and the whole world saw him descend from heaven and tried to attract their attention, he would be greeted with great derision and after a few brief startled moments most would turn back to their favorite TV program or other worldly diversion.
The Prophet Joseph Smith was not alone. He was alone in the first vision, alone when Moroni first visited him and alone when he received the plates, which actually witnessed for themselves as does the translated Book of Mormon.
Every time keys were restored, two men received them. Why? Because it was necessary according to the divine law of witnesses for Joseph Smith to have a companion holding those keys. So as Oliver Cowdery states when John the Baptist came, he and Joseph received the Aaronic Priesthood under his hands; and when Peter, James and John came he was with Joseph Smith.
It was Oliver Cowdery and Joseph Smith who received the keys in the Kirtland Temple on the 3rd of April, 1836, when Christ appeared, when Moses appeared, when Elias appeared, when Elijah appeared. Why? Because as the Savior said: If I bear witness, of myself, my witness is not true. That is we do not have to believe it. There has to be two, that the testimony might be valid.
Other witnesses shared the burden with the Prophet. He declared that he stood in the presence of Jesus Christ and the holy angels who instructed him and gave him authority to organize the church. Not only was such authority given to him, but also to others. In addition to Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, Martin Harris, Sidney Rigdon and others have testified that they beheld the presence of angels and were instructed by them. Joseph Smith did not stand alone.
All save Joseph Smith left the church but none ever denied their witness and all returned to the church after much tribulation except, David Whitmar. And in his old age it was published in news papers that he had denied his testimony. It so incensed him that he went to great expense to have it published in major news papers here and abroad the he had NOT denied his testimony and reaffirmed that he had seen an angel who showed them the gold plates and he did hear a voice from heaven announcing their authenticity and correct translation.
Joseph and Hyrum, brothers, were joint witnesses as they were shot to death in Carthage jail. Joseph had gone from Nauvoo to Carthage knowing that they were to die. ~ NOTICE HE WENT KNOWINGLY! A day or two before going to Carthage he had crossed the Mississippi and was headed West to find that refuge for the Saints that Brigham Young led them to three years later.
When he received word from the saints including his wife that he was unduly alarmed and his life would be safe, he returned saying, “If my life is of no use to my friends it is of no use to me. And on the way to Carthage he declared the though he was going to his death he was as calm as a summer morning.
It was necessary that these martyrs seal their testimony with their blood, that the wicked might be condemned.
He had to die (Joseph). Why? Because we read in the scriptures that the testimony is not of force without the death of the testator ~ that is in his particular case, and in the case of Christ.
It was just as necessary that Hyrum Smith lay down his life a martyr for this cause as a witness for God as it was for Joseph Smith, so the Lord permitted them both to be taken in that way and both sealed their testimony with their blood. Both of them held the keys of the dispensation of the fulness of times jointly, and they will through all the ages of eternity.
The Lord says: “Wo be unto him that receiveth the word of God as it comes to us thru two, three or eight witnesses. And that testimony will stand against the world at the last day, and every man that is living who has heard the testimony of Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, Martin Harris, and Joseph Smith and has refused to receive this message will have to give a reason why he rejected it before the judgement seat of God, because that testimony has gone out solemnly and they were God’s witnesses to all the world. (Doctrines of Salvation Vol. 1 ch. 13)
but perhaps the greatest witness of all is our self. My very self and your very self is a witness before God and before man that God lives. That God is comprised of three different men.
1.The Father who is a glorified, resurrected man who literally sired our spirit bodies. He loves us dearly, so dearly, that he allowed our oldest brother, God’s firstborn to come to earth and suffer bleed and die that we might have eternal life. In fact the whole work of our Father is , “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of each one of us. 2. The Savior too is a resurrected man with a body of flesh and bone as we will become because of his great sacrifice. The evidence is over whelming. 3. The Holy Ghost, a spirit man who can testify to our spirits of things that are true. Etc.
As I have told you before, I was once talking with a protestant minister. He was giving me that foolish drivel that the God head was three different individuals but only one person, so large that he or they filled the whole universe yet so small he or they could dwell in our hearts. I then quoted to him Acts 1:9-11 “and when he had spoken these things, (40 days after the resurrection) while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfast toward heaven as he went up, behold two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. Now notice that he had appeared to them over the past 40 days at least 8 times as recorded. And as they were gathered together in a closed room. He entered! “And as they spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.
And he said unto them, why are ye troubled? And why do thots arise in your hearts?
Behold my hands and my feet, that it is myself; handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have, and when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.
And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, have ye here any meat?
And they gave him a piece of broiled fish and an honey comb.
And he took it, and did eat before them. Luke 24: 36-43
How much more real could a man be. They hear him, see him, feel him and watch him eat substantial food.
Now I said to this learned man: “ He then went outside and started down the road to Bethany, his disciples all around him and he lifted up his hands and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them and carried up into heaven.”
Luke 24:50-51
so I asked, “ what happened after the clouds hid him? He definitely had a body of flesh and bones but he is supposed to fill all space with out body parts and passions. Tell me what
happened next?”
Why said he, “why he threw it away.”
But says I, “He is to return again and very soon in his resurrected body, how’s he going to get it back?”
Then he shocked me beyond understanding by actually saying the following words: “ He will say Presto- change- o and have his body back.
Well it was obvious that the poor guy was quite a few bricks short of having a full load so I just turned and walked away.)
Where was reason, where were the scriptures, where was good sense?
Now you and I are our best witnesses. We must at some time not far distant stand and testify in our behalf. We must affirm that we knew about Jesus that we believed him and that we have done the few little things that he has asked us to do.
If we need a second witness, to whom shall we turn or will the Book of Life kept in heaven have such a complete record that it and our word will be sufficient. Use your reason. Be prepared!
Again use your reason and consider this life how brief and how short it is. Let us reason together, of our 150 plus descendants percentage wise not many will live into their 80s. Three score and 10 (70) is still the allotted life of man.
So we take about 1/3 of our life learning how to support ourselves which we work at for another 1/3 which makes 60-65 years old and maybe have 10+ more years. Then what? Please, please give it serious thought and use your reasoning power. Don’t count on living as long as your Grandpa (96) I see a great many people in my work and in the past two or three years I don’t remember meeting anyone in their nineties.
If I sound like life is gloomy and we are doomed I don’t mean to. Life is terrific! Every morning after a good nights rest, and I sleep well. I wake up and spend a few minutes in meditation and planning the day. The first thing I do is make up my mind to have a happy day. Sure I’ve got accumulated aches and pains and can hardly walk. But that is all part of the plan.
BE HAPPY!
We’re prone to think if I only had this or that or him or her I could be happy. NOT SO!
Happiness is within and I CHOOSE to be happy and I’m hoping that you will too that we might rejoice together forevermore. Grandma here we come!
All my love,
Dad, Grandpa, brother, uncle etc
Richard Pratt
